Clients Trade Commission-Free in the New Global Account Through March
2013

September 12, 2012 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Charles Schwab today announced the expansion of its global investing
capabilities with the launch of the Schwab Global AccountTM,
a platform providing investors direct, 24/7 online access to 12 foreign
equity markets with the ability to trade in their local currencies
whenever the markets are open.

The new platform, available at www.schwab.com/global,
comes at a time of renewed demand for global investments: a new Schwab
survey finds that 73 percent of investors are interested in global
investing and 41 percent will consider investing in equities on foreign
exchanges in the next year. It also comes with a bonus for global-minded
investors, who can trade commission-free in the new account through
March 2013 (currency conversion and other fees will still apply).

“A growing number of investors are looking beyond U.S. borders to
diversify their investment portfolios and we want to help take them
there with an easy-to-use online global trading platform that
complements Schwab’s extensive global investing services,” said Brian
McDonald, Senior Vice President responsible for Schwab’s global
investing offering. “We believe the Schwab Global Account can be a
passport for investors to access some of the most popular global markets
in an easy and transparent way.”

Providing online accessibility whenever foreign markets are open, Schwab
clients can trade global stocks that are not always available via
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) or in the U.S. over-the-counter
(OTC) market. Investors also have the ability to buy, sell and hold
equities in local currencies, allowing them to hedge their exposure to
the U.S. dollar and to measure how a specific foreign stock is
performing without having to take the impact of a fluctuating exchange
rate into account.

Access to award-winning global research, including Schwab Equity
Ratings International, a proprietary international stock ranking
methodology covering approximately 4,000 large and small cap stocks in
28 foreign equity markets. An extensive range of third-party research
is also available, including country profiles from The Economist
Intelligence Unit and international research from Credit Suisse.

According to the new Schwab study, 35 percent of investors
surveyed believe investments outside the U.S. offer better growth
opportunities than investments in the U.S., with Canada, Germany and
Australia topping the list of the most attractive markets. Further,
given a $100,000 windfall, 83 percent of investors say they would
allocate a portion to non-U.S. equities.

Sixty-seven percent of investors in the study cite diversification as
the primary reason for global interest. Other key reasons for investing
in equities on international exchanges included access to securities
that are not available via a U.S. stock exchange (48 percent), hedging
against the U.S. dollar (47 percent), and attaining higher potential
returns (44 percent).

Fifty-five percent of investors have personal motives for crossing the
U.S. border. These investors say they view themselves as global citizens
thus want to be invested globally; they are also interested in investing
in countries where they have vacationed. Another key driver is the
desire to apply specific knowledge about foreign markets that they have
gained through business dealings.

Appetite for Knowledge and Access

Today’s investors recognize global investing comes with a unique set of
challenges – but appear to have the appetite to overcome them. More than
40 percent say they do not have access to relevant company-specific
research on foreign stocks. Investors also say they don’t know enough
about trading in foreign currencies and don’t have access to an
appropriate trading platform. Yet these investors also indicate that:

They would like to learn more about foreign stock markets (62 percent).

More than half (52 percent) say an easy-to-use trading platform would
make them more interested in foreign investing.

Forty-seven percent would trade foreign equities on foreign exchanges
if they knew more about how to do it.

“While most of those we surveyed clearly recognize the potential
benefits to investing internationally, four in ten acknowledged they had
little to no idea about how to trade a stock on a foreign exchange or
find objective research on a foreign investment,” added Schwab’s
McDonald. “A smart, thoughtfully crafted global strategy can be a very
important component of a long term investing plan, and we are excited to
be able to help demystify foreign investing by providing the research,
education and trading tools that our clients need to be successful when
going global.”

The Schwab Global Account is the latest enhancement to Schwab’s robust
global investing capabilities. Schwab’s OTC global offering provides
clients with access to securities that trade in over 30 countries, and
Schwab’s Global Investing Specialists can place trades over-the-phone in
more than 40 international markets. Clients have access, through Schwab,
to extensive resources and expertise in investing in international
stocks, including institutional-level research that’s focused on
international investing, as well as specialized guidance and trading
services.

Koski Research conducted an online survey of 214 investors who trade at
least 24 times per year and identified themselves as at least somewhat
experienced as an investor with self-directed or light-validator
investment styles. Respondents had investable assets of at least
$250,000 and were between 25-75 years of age. The survey was conducted
from June 14 through June 20 2012.

About Koski Research

Koski Research is a marketing research firm that helps leading financial
services firms use market research to improve decision-making and
stimulate communication efforts. Koski Research has conducted thousands
of surveys and interviews among executives, individual and institutional
investors, and intermediaries that have enabled financial services firms
to have a deeper understanding of their clients and better meet their
needs.

About Charles Schwab

The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) is a leading provider of
financial services, with more than 300 offices and 8.7 million active
brokerage accounts, 1.5 million corporate retirement plan participants,
829,000 banking accounts, and $1.82 trillion in client assets as of
July 31, 2012. The company was ranked ‘Highest in Investor Satisfaction
with Self-Directed Services’ in the 2012 US Self-Directed Investor
Satisfaction StudySM from J.D Power and Associates. Through
its operating subsidiaries, the company provides a full range of
securities brokerage, banking, money management and financial advisory
services to individual investors and independent investment advisors.
Its broker-dealer subsidiary, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (member SIPC,
www.sipc.org),
and affiliates offer a complete range of investment services and
products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial
planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation
plan services; referrals to independent fee-based investment advisors;
and custodial, operational and trading support for independent,
fee-based investment advisors through its Advisor Services division. Its
banking subsidiary, Charles Schwab Bank (member FDIC and an Equal
Housing Lender), provides trust and custody services, banking and
mortgage services and products. Investment products offered by Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc. are not insured by the FDIC, are not deposits or
obligations of Charles Schwab Bank, and are subject to investment risk,
including the possible loss of principal invested. More information is
available at www.schwab.com
and www.aboutschwab.com.
(0912-5746)

The Schwab Global Account is restricted to certain account types. Only
U.S. citizens residing in the United States are eligible.

The Schwab Equity Ratings - International are not personal
recommendations for any particular investor or client and do not take
into account your individual circumstances, financial situation,
investment or other objectives or needs.

The Economist Intelligence Unit and Credit Suisse are independent third
parties that are not affiliated with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.